Before booking our villa in the Algarve, we weren’t quite sure about staying in Vilamoura. Everything we read about it seemed to scream TOURIST TRAP, and so we hemmed and hawed, until everything else on Airbnb was gone, and the last remaining villa option we had was in Vilamoura. So imagine my delight upon arrival, when I discovered that our villa was situated in one of the more picturesque parts of town, surrounded by greenery and bougainvillea aplenty.

Sure, Vilamoura is an undeniably touristy place with beach bars, golf clubs, and a ton of resorts, but it wasn’t a bad thing. On our trip to the Algarve, we visited many authentic places, but we were always happy to return to our comfortable and touristy little town. If you’re not sure about where to stay, I can’t recommend the area near Old Village, Vilamoura highly enough. With several great restaurants nearby, a small grocery store a quick walk away, and beautifully landscaped grounds all around, this was the perfect place to call home during our time in the Algarve. I’ll share more recommendations from our trip in a separate post, so stay tuned.

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…